The majority of people are fearful of robots and find their growth as a threat to their existence. The question is, where does this Robophobia come from? Is it reasonable or rational? What is the main reason behind the phobia of robots?
Robophobia is an anxiety disorder that causes different sufferers like you to have an irrational fear of drones, robots, robot-like machines, etc. It results in a panic attack when triggered. Especially due to different situations like viewing a robot, talking about the robots, and being near to a robot.
Different robophobic patients explore their anxiety levels rise when in close contact with autonomous machines, mostly human-looking robots.
According to one of the remarkable books “phobias,” 10 – 20% of people are affected by fear of robots throughout the world.
Robophobia: Its Definition
Do robots only need to meet human needs and not look like us?
Robohobia is a Czech word that means “drudgery”, and in Greek, Phobos means “fear”.
Many people avoid contact with robots and prefer not to use gadgets that are robotic, like hardwired telephones over cellular phones that can sense location, position, etc.
Do they fear Siri and Alexa too? Let’s find out!
The Consequences and Cure of Robophobia
People fear robots because they think they can kill them, snatch their jobs, or enslave them if they get smarter.
In the age of robots, let’s talk about the consequences of Robophobia and its cures.
Is there a cure for the phobia of robots?
Is Robophobia remediable? Can it be cured permanently?
Some of the psychological symptoms of robophobia include:
- Nervousness
- Uneasiness
- Overthinking
- Poor concentration
- Insomnia
- Panic attacks
- High heart rate
- Breathlessness
- Heaviness in the chest
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Sweating and shaking
- Dizziness and disorientation
To diagnose phobia of robots, ensure that nothing else causes you anxiety. There are some other physical conditions, for example, brain tumors, and malnutrition that causes uptightness. So before you begin treating phobia of robots, we suggest you first diagnose if any other uptightness exists.
Once there are no other causes, it becomes easier to cure them. To tell you, the phobia of robots falls under DSM-5 criteria.
Know the following things:
1- Are robots safe to work with?
Absolutely, Robots are machines but you aren’t.
2- Will robots take your jobs?
No, they will become a helping hand to reform industries.
3- Will robots’ take over everything?
They can’t because they don’t have human consciousness.
Let’s debate on these in-depth:
Are robots safe to work with?
Robots are professionally designed with all the safety measures and are programmed to work in the same space as humans. Certain collaborative robots use proximity and force sensors. It also includes 3D cameras and LiDAR to safely interact with humans.
What happens if this safety system malfunctions? Considering robots, they are sometimes more capable, and on the other hand, they are more complex. The main ambiguity arises when you think if robots cannot understand our experiences, how can they keep us safe?
There is a possible explanation.
Robots are machines but you aren’t!
The words “humans” and “robots” are self-explanatory. Robots are the products of coders, designers, engineers, and technicians, but you are not made up of codes, algorithms, etc.
So, no comparison exists!
Will robots take our jobs?
Constant progress in the domain of AI might have caused this fear in you. But the robot apocalypse is already here, it just seems different than you thought!
You might find this infographic useful!
If robots can perform more productively than humans as they work 24/7, leave little to no errors, are efficient, work without salaries then why won’t any business rely on bots over biceps?
Jobs lost, Industries reformed!
Jobs aren’t permanent; they evolve with time!
There was a demand for postmen in the 1890s, but soon after telegrams were invented, the job post for a postman became fewer.
Later, telephone machines got invented and people started installing those in their homes.
Fast-forwarding, there’s no need for a postman, they are fewer in number, and everything is connected through electronic ways.
Hence, automation doesn’t remove jobs but rearranges them.
According to recent research from Gartner, 1.79 million jobs will be removed by automation, but 2.29 million jobs will emerge in 2029 – 2030.
Now you should ask “what new sectors will automation create?” not “will automation kill jobs?”
Will robots take over everything?
Are movies behind this phobia of robots?
Movies such as Terminator and Matrix can be the reason for this phobia of robots. But, those are just movies. You should not mix the reel and real life.
What if they become aware of everything? What if they start disliking their jobs and think of dominating the world? You must think of such questions.
Follow the scientific facts!
You think of robots as Terminators and other robotic fiction, may call them murderous machines but the reality is that they are just useful machines. They are smart enough to solve 999 mathematical solutions but they can’t socialize and make friends like you do.
How Nextrbridge is assisting clients with robotics machine design?
We also have robots at Nextbridge. We built the first autonomous snowblower, designed a robot that helps pilots land safely, we have Baxter that even cooks pancakes for us.
We deal in robotics and believe that AI is a profitable business. If you deploy the right AI, you can save time, money, and automate your monotonous tasks.
Robots are modern enough to overcome challenges. They are not dangerous but can perform dangerous tasks.
Consider robots nonhazardous. It will help you to lessen your phobia of robots.
